This is not, as you might expect, an inspection program to make
sure that food producers are doing what they claim. No, USDA's Process
Verification is a marketing program that allows producers to make claims and create certification logos.

As I discussed in the egg chapters in What to Eat, process
verification is very much in the eye of the beholder. Most egg—and
broiler—process verification programs certify that the chickens are fed
and sheltered. But how they are fed and sheltered is quite another matter.

Perdue's claims are marketing hype because broilers are pretty much
always fed grain, are not routinely fed animal by-products, and are
not raised in cages. The claims say nothing about antibiotics so you
have to assume these chickens are treated with antibiotics to promote
growth and prevent infection under crowded conditions.

And now the footnotes:

*1/ Humanely Raised Program claim is in accordance with Perdue's Best Practices, which include:

Education, training, and planning

Hatchery Operations

Proper Nutrition and Feeding

Appropriate Comfort and Shelter

Health Care

Normal Patterns of Behavior

On-Farm Best Practices

Catching and Transportation

Processing

*Based on the principles outlined in Official Listing of Approved
USDA Process Verified Programs Company Claims Verified Program Scope
Verification Information in the National Chicken Council's Animal Welfare Guidelines to ensure the proper care, management, and handling of broiler chickens.

2/ Tenderness is Guaranteed through the implementation and verification of Perdue's "Tenderness Best Practices".

The guidelines require careful reading. "Humanely raised" by Perdue's criteria might not be what you mean by the term.

This campaign is not about safety, health, or humane treatment. It is about marketing.

As I explained to Stuart Elliott, it's hard not to be sarcastic
about this sort of thing. And not to wonder why the USDA needs to do this.